Makes enough for one house that measure 5-inches long x 6-inches wide x 8-inches tall

Makes enough for one house that measure 5-inches long x 6-inches wide x 8-inches tall (at the apex), with enough remaining dough for a chimney, gingerbread people or other decorations. You will want to have a template for the shapes of the roof and 4 walls, cut out of cardboard or sturdy plastic. You can create your own, or find a template on many gingerbread house websites!.

2 packages Dromedary Gingerbread Mix

1/2 water

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted OR vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine 1 package of mix with 1/4 cup water and 3 tablespoons melted butter in a large mixing bowl. Add more water (1 tablespoon at a time) if needed to form dough into a ball. Knead dough gently on a lightly floured surface 3 to 5 times, until smooth.

Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Placing templates on top of the dough, cut out dough around templates for 2 side walls. Place these pieces on an ungreased baking sheet.

Mix the remaining box of gingerbread mix with 1/4 cup water and 3 tablespoons melted butter. Repeat kneading and rolling out of dough. Cut around remaining templates for the roof and side walls. After the roof and walls have been cut out, use any remaining dough to cut out doors, chimney, people and any other decorations. Place all pieces on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake the pieces for about 15 minutes or until slightly firm around edges. Remove baking sheets from oven and let pieces cool for 10 minutes. Carefully transfer cut pieces to wire racks to finish cooling.

Once the gingerbread has cooled completely, prepare the Gingerbread House Icing (below):

1 cups powdered sugar
3-1/2 teaspoons water

Stir together until smooth. In order to hold the house together, this is a very thick icing!

Constructing the house:

A sturdy piece of cardboard (covered) OR large platter is needed. Use a serrated knife to lightly sand off any rough edges on the gingerbread walls and roof pieces, so they fit together well.

Using a knife OR spoon, spread a line of icing along the bottom of one of the side walls (smooth side of the gingerbread should be facing out). Place it on the cardboard or platter, using a can or bottle to prop it up. Next, line icing on the bottom and side of an end wall where the 2 pieces will join. Repeat this process with all 4 wall pieces until all are in place. Check to make sure the walls are joined tightly at the edges and are standing up straight before the icing sets. You may need to hold the walls in place for a minute or two.

Next, line icing all around the roof joints. Set the first half of the roof in place. Hold it in place or prop it up for a minute or two to prevent it from sliding off. Repeat the process with the second half of the roof.

Decorating the House:

Once the house has set, you are ready to begin decorating. Use the following icing recipe:

1 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons water

Mix until smooth. You can place this icing in a pastry bag with a decorating tip OR just use a resealable plastic bag and snip off one corner. Use this to adhere all decorations to the house.

Tip: If you have a lot of intricate designs and decorations to place on the walls of the house, it is easier to decorate before putting the walls up. Just be careful not to knock anything off during assembly and be sure the icing is completely dry before setting the walls in place.